Once in a Lifetime Part 2
by lil squirt
Summary: Part 2, everything goes down hill....


Chapter 3   
  
Back at the gym, Ash had just told Misty and Nick (and Cubone) about ashley being his sister.  
  
  
  
"Wow! That's incredible! I'm so happy for you!" Misty exclaimed.   
  
Nick remarked boldly, "Yeah, who would have thought that Ash would have a sister that looks nothing at all like him  
and, is too young to be a gym leader. It seems a bit weird that he was never told he was adopted, and now he's just  
remembering. I don't like this."   
  
"Nick! Be quiet! Ash is just dense, and you shouldn't be so rude! Ash has finally found his sister and you're  
bad-mouthing her!" Misty yelled and slapped Nick on the back of his head.   
  
"Ow!" Nick mumbled, and rubbed the back of his head.   
  
Cubone wacked Nick on the back of the head with his bone and Misty giggled because cubone was always mimicing  
her.   
  
"Ow!" Nick yelled, "Cubone!"   
  
Everyone (except Nick of course) laughed.   
  
"Well, this is weird," Nick said with a smirk, "My cubone and I are fighting over the same girl. Can't say he doesn't  
have good taste, though.   
  
Ashley turned to Adam. "How come you never say anything sweet like that to me?!" she asked angrily.   
  
Adam gave Nick a cold stare, then said, "Uh ... Maybe because ... uh ... my pokemon never fall in love with you?"   
  
Ashley rolled her eyes. "It's not your fault. Nick is just trying to make you look bad," she said. She couldn't think of  
anything else to say that might help the situation, so, as most women do, she blamed Nick.   
  
Nick whispered to Misty, "Why is it always *my* fault when a girl's boy friend is a moron who can't compliment his  
girl friend."   
  
"What?!" Adam yelled, "How dare you insult me like that?! You've been on mine and Ashley's case ever since your  
first gym battle here! Let's settle things right here and now!"   
  
"You're on! Cubone, It's time for you to-" Nick started.   
  
"Who said anything about pokemon?" Adam asked coldly, "I'm gonna pound on you until you're just a bloody mess on  
the floor!"   
  
Nick smiled. "You want to hit me? Go ahead and try," he smirked.   
  
"Nick!" Misty cried, "He's twice your size! He'll kill you! Please don't fight him!"   
  
"Yeah, Nick," Ash agreed, "You shouldn't fight someone so much bigger than you!"   
  
Nick smiled and replied, "Guys, you don't know me as well as you think you do. I am not scared of him. Of course, if  
you don't want me to hurt him too bad, then I will only bloody him up a little."   
  
"Big talk, but can you back it up?" Adam asked.   
  
"Any time you're ready," Nick replied, calmly.   
  
Adam stared at Nick for a while. 'Is he for real?' Adam thought to himself. 'Does that little punk actually think he can  
take me?'   
  
"Well?" Nick asked, growing impatient, "You want to get beat up or what?"   
  
Adam looked at Misty. "No. I wouldn't want your girl friend to have to throw a funeral for you already," Adam  
laughed.   
  
"You're scared. I understand," Nick said.   
  
"Whatever," Adam said, and turned to Ashley, "besides I don't like to beat people to an inch of their life in front of  
my love."   
  
"Oh, Adam," Ashley said, blushing and giggling.   
  
"Adam should have pounded him," Katelynn mumbled.   
  
  
Chapter 4   
  
  
"Later that day, at the steps of Ashley's house," the narrator says, "Ash is tense on meeting his birth mother."   
  
Nick watches the sun go down, a million things going through his mind. No one seemed to notice him though. Everyone  
was too excited with Ash meeting his mom.   
  
"I can't believe my whole life up to today has been a lie," Ash said sadly, "I wish I had known, but I guess it doesn't  
really matter. I'm finally going to see my real mother."   
  
"I'm very happy for you, Ash," Brock said, "Meeting your birth mother after all these years has to be a bit scary."   
  
"No," said Ash, "I'm just glad that I am able to meet her."   
  
Ashley unlocked the door. She walked inside and led Ash and his friends into the living room.   
  
"Where is she?" Ash asked.   
  
Ashley looked around and replied, "She's probably in the kitchen fixing dinner. I'll go get her."   
  
Ashley dashed into the kitchen, dragging Adam behind her.   
  
"I don't like this," Nick replied.   
  
Misty rolled her eyes. "Are you always like this?"   
  
"Like what?"   
  
"Always trying to find the bad in such good things."   
  
"I'm just being careful."   
  
Nurse Katelynn looked at the worried expression on Ash's face and replied, "I don't think we need to worry about  
Ash getting in trouble. He can take care of himself, and if by a small chance we get in any trouble, then I know Ash  
will come to the rescue. He will save of all from certain death and-"   
  
"Enough already! Don't you ever shut up?!" Misty and Nick yelled simultaneously.   
  
"You're so mean! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Nurse Katelynn wailed.   
  
"Now look what you did!" Ash yelled at Nick and Misty, "It's alright Katelynn. I'm sure they were just being mean  
because it's been a long day," he said as he hugged Nurse Katelynn. Nurse Katelynn sniffed a few times, then opened  
her eyes and smiled. She looked at Misty and stuck her tounge out.   
  
"Why that little ..." Misty mumbled.   
  
Brock, growing more impatient by the second, finally said, "I'm going to look for Ashley. I'll be back soon." Brock  
walked the same way Ashley and Adam had gone.   
  
Brock mainly wanted to find Ashley and Adam because he was bored, but getting away from everyone's complaining  
was an extra bonus. He wandered aimlessly through the halls until he came to a door with a light turned on. He opened  
the door a crack and peeked in. What he saw astounded him.   
  
"I've got to tell the others to get out of here. It's not safe," Brock said as he backed away, "Ash won't like this one  
bit." As he backed away, however, he slipped on a pokeball, and hit the ground with a loud thud. Brock looked down at  
the little pokeball he had slipped on. He realized it wasn't his and put it on his belt.   
  
As brock tried getting to his feet the kitchen door swung open and a giant shadow appeared over him.   
  
"Where do you think you're going?" a familiar voice asked.   
  
Brock yelled and the sound echoed through the entire house to Ash and the gang's ears.   
  
"Pika!!" [ "Brock!!" ] Pikachu yelled, still very weak, however.   
  
"Shhhh," Nurse Katelynn, Pikachu's person nusre said, "Save your strength! We'll find out what happened."   
  
"We got to go find him! He might be hurt!" Ash yelled and dash through the hall, dragging Katelynn and Pikachu with  
him.   
  
Nick look at Misty and asked, "Might be hurt? People don't yell like that because they're having a good day."   
  
Misty looked at Nick and replied, "Don't try to figure Ash out. You'll just hurt your head. Now, lets go help Brock."  
Misty said as she took Nick's hand and led him through the halls.   
  
Everyone burst into the kitchen at once. There sat a fairly young woman at the most 30 years of age. Ash's eyes fixed  
on her.   
  
"Could this be ..." Ash thought to himself, "my ... mother?"   
  
Misty looked around. "Where's Brock?!" she demanded.   
  
The woman stood up and walked over to the group. She looked at Ash and then Misty and Katelynn (it seemed Nick  
had disappeared for the moment.) She finally spoke in a soft and sweet voice, "Your friend had a nasty fall down the  
stairs. He will be ok, but you should let him rest," She looked back to Ash, "Ash? Is it really you? Ashley and her boy  
friend told me you were coming, but I didn't think I could believe it unless I saw it for myself. I see it now, though. You  
are the boy I lost a long time ago!" She hugged Ash tightly and sobbed as Ash hugged her.   
  
*** Meanwhile ***   
  
Nick silently crept down the hall. He wasn't buying any of this adoption stuff. He hardly knew Ash but this seemed to  
be a setup. It seemed no one was clear-headed enough to see through this stupid trap except him and Cubone ... where  
was Cubone, anyway? Probably with Misty trying to get her to love him more. Nick laughed to himself. Sabrina would  
kill him if she found out Cubone and he had fallen in love. She was love as a weakness. She was probably right, but  
isn't love supposed to conquer all? It wasn't important to worry about right now. He had to find Misty's friend, Brock.   
  
Nick looked in each door, but saw no one. His search seemed to be getting him nowhere until he thought he heard a  
small thud above him. He looked up at the ceiling and for a moment and thought it may have just been his imagination.  
Then, he heard another thud. The attic.   
  
Nick looked around until he found the stairs to the attic. He opened the pull-down stairs and walked up quietly. There  
was a door that separating him and the attic. He knew that whatever was in there was not good and he had to be  
ready. He pulled a pokeball off his belt and enter the attic.   
  
  
Chapter 5   
  
  
Throwing the door open, Nick ran into the room and instead found a dryer turned on and making repeated thuds as the  
clothes inside of it turned inside and hit it.   
  
Nick laughed silently to himself. He had been so paranoid. His years spent with Sabrina had left him with little trust  
for anyone, but he did have to admit that it did seem funny. "Anything is possible, I guess," Nick said to himself.   
  
He turned to leave the attic and go back to the kitchen but was met with a heavy object to the head and was  
completely knocked out.   
  
*** eyecatch ***   
  
In the background as Nick is knocked out cold by a shadowy figure, you see Brock tied and gagged. He is only visible  
by the light through the window.   
  
*** Back in the kitchen ***   
  
"So..." Misty said, still trying to figure out if this was real or not, "You put Ash in an adoption center when he was just  
a little younger than one year old? I was made to believe it was just after he was born."   
  
"Misty..." Ash said, a bit of anger in his voice, "Please stop trying to prove she is not my mother."   
  
"It's ok Ash," His mother said, "Misty has a right to seek truth for a friend. She must care deeply for you, Ash."   
  
Nurse Katelynn gave Misty a cold stare, and Misty blushed as Ash turned and looked at her. Misty stopped blushing  
suddenly and asked, "How did you know my name? I never told you that my name was Misty."   
  
"Well ... Ashley and her boy friend told me. Would you and your pokemon like some cake?"   
  
"Chu pika pikachu!" [Now you're taking!] Pikachu exclaimed.   
  
'She changed the subject rather quickly, but I'm so hungry,' Misty thought to herself.   
  
Everyone was seated at the table (Pikachu and Cubone had lots of books to sit on since they were so small) Ash's  
mother gave everyone a peice of chocolate cake, and everyone started eating messily. Cubone just looked at the cake  
and didn't eat any.   
  
"Is something wrong with it, Cubone?" Misty asked as Cubone seemed to refuse the cake.   
  
"Maybe he's alergic to chocolate," Nurse Katelynn suggested.   
  
"Yeah, that may be the reason," Misty said yawning, "Why am I so tired all of a sudden?"   
  
"I am too," Nurse Katelynn said.   
  
"Yeah, me too," Ash said, struggling to keep his eyes open.   
  
Pikachu had already fallen asleep and everyone else fell asleep, leaving Cubone the only one awake. Cubone looked  
around, walked on top of the table over to Misty, and started shaking her and trying to wake her.   
  
"It's no use. They are in too deep a sleep," a voice said from behind Cubone. Cubone turned around and saw Ash's  
"mother". Cubone was in a rage. He threw his bone as hard as he could at the woman. She caught the bone as if it  
were a toy and threw it back at him. Cubone tried to dodge the bone, but instead the bone hit him in the ribs.   
  
Cubone was in great pain and tried moving, only to have more pain. He was tied up with Ash, Misty, and the others  
and taken to the attic.   
  
  
Chapter 6   
  
  
Nurse Katelynn was the first to wake up. Her head was throbbing in pain. She tried to move but she was being held  
back. She then noticed that she was tied up! She struggled as hard as she could, but she couldn't get free. Her back  
was to a post and apparently she was tied to it. She looked to her left and, for the first time, realized she tied with  
Ash, Misty, Brock, and the others. She was startled by a familiar voice.   
  
"Nice to see someone finally woke up," Adam said as he stepped in front of Nurse Katelynn. He held a large metal bat  
that had a red stain on it.   
  
Nurse Katelynn knew immediately what the red stain was. It was the blood (human blood without a doubt.) "Who's  
blood is on the bat?" she asked, pleading to herself it wasn't Ash's.   
  
"Hey, Stephanie!" Adam called to the outside of the attic, "Tell her see the guy who should have minded his own  
business!"   
  
"Stephanie?" Nurse Katelynn mumbled to herself.   
  
Stephanie (who predictably turned out to be Ashley) dragged a bloody, battered body up the attic stairs and in front of  
Katelynn.   
  
Nurse Katelynn stared at Nick's lifeless body. "Is he alive?"   
  
"What do I care?"   
  
"You're nothing but a ... a ... a murderer!" Nurse Katelynn yelled and began to cry. She didn't want to end up like  
Nick! Why did this have to happen to her?   
  
"Shut up!" Stephanie yelled at her, and put a gag in her mouth.   
  
"Good job," Adam (if that is his real name) said. He kicked Nick in the ribs and laughed. Nick stayed motionless even  
after being kicked.   
  
Nurse Katelynn didn't like Nick much, but even he didn't deserve death! She looked at his bloody hand that was just  
inches from her foot. She wished he would get up and beat up Adam. Then he could untie her and the others, and she  
could take care of him like Ash's Pikachu. She wanted to hurt Stephanie for laughing at her while she was tied up. She  
wished she could have five minutes alone with her. She'd put her in a world of pain!   
  
Misty moaned. Her head hurt really bad. Nurse Katelynn yelled to Misty, "Misty keep your eyes closed!" She didn't  
want her to see Nick in the consdition he was.   
  
"Why?" Misty asked. She noticed she was tied up and tried to slip out, but the ropes were too tight. She looked over  
at Nurse Katelynn and down at Nick. She gasped, and Nurse Katelynn knew Misty had seen Nick.   
  
"N-Nick?! N-NO!!!!" Misty cried out as tears came into her eyes and she cried.   
  
"This is better than cable t.v." Stephanie said laughing.   
  
"My mom makes the best chocolate cake," Ash said waking up. His head didn't hurt very much, but there was a loud  
ringing in his ears. He tried standing up and felt the ropes holding him down. "What's this?"   
  
"Pika Pika ..." Pikachu said, coming from the dream world.   
  
"Looks like we've got trouble, Pikachu," Ash warned.   
  
Ash was on the other side of the post and could not see Nick, and Pikachu was right beside Ash and could not see Nick  
either. Cubone was passed out beside Pikachu. Pikachu was still a bit angry about Cubone beating him so painfully, so  
she tried to give Cubone a little wake-up shock, but was too weak still. Pikachu hit Cubone with her tail and laughed a  
little as Cubone jerked awake.   
  
Cubone remembered being hit by his own bone in the ribs, and again in the head to knock him out. He wanted revenge,  
but these ropes were impossible to get out of! The pain in his ribs was terrible! He could have easily busted out the  
ropes if it weren't for the pain. He noticed Misty beside him, and that she was crying. "Cubone bone cubone?"  
[What's the matter?] He got no answer. He couldn't see past Misty to his trainer, so he saw no reason for her to cry.   
  
"Where's the big guy, David?" Stephanie asked.   
  
"He's been taken to headquarters," David (Adam) replied, "Cassidy is sure to deal with him accordingly."   
  
"You're partners to Cassidy?" Ash asked. "So that means you're with Team Rocket!"   
  
"Actually we work *for* Cassidy," Stephanie admitted.   
  
Katelynn felt a tap against her shoe and she pulled her shoe away, startled. It was Nick's hand. He ... was alive ... for  
now. Good thing David and Stephanie hadn't noticed.   
  
Nick was able to squink his eyes open enough to where it looked like they were closed. He had only been out for a few  
minutes. He woke up as Stephanie was pulling him up the stairs. He had been thinking of how to get out of this  
situation, and now he had it, thanks to his teacher, Sabrina. He focused all his mental energy on the bat David was  
waving around. With a giant jerk, the bat was freed from his grip and was floating in the air.   
  
"What?!" David yelled surprised.   
  
"How?!" Stephanie yelled even more suprised.   
  
The bat swung down and hit David in the gut. David went down with a loud thud, as he hit the ground.   
  
Stephanie ran, but Nick stuck his foot out and she tripped onto the stairs. She couldn't move. The air had been  
knocked out of her just like David.   
  
Nick got to his knees and pulled a cooking knife from his back pocket. He cut the ropes and let everyone free. He fell  
down too weak to move or think anymore.   
  
Nurse Katelynn was ready to help Nick. She reached for her Chansey, but her pokeballs were gone! She yelled, "My  
pokemon have been stolen!"   
  
Everyone looked at their belts and yelled, "Mine too!"   
  
Nurse Katelynn looked over and yelled again, "David and Stephanie are gone, and they have our pokemon!"   
  
  
Chapter 7   
  
  
"Just tell me what you want from me!" a tied-up Brock yelled angrily in a dimly lit room.   
  
"I want the truth!" a shadowy figure, who was the same man that was talking to Jessie, James, and Meowth earlier,  
that was sitting in a chair across the room, "What is the secret to the super pokeballs? Tell me!"   
  
"I don't know what you are talking about! I've never even heard of them!"   
  
The shadowy figure pushed a button on his desk and Cassidy came into the room, "Yeah, Boss?" she asked.   
  
"Our guest needs a little encouragement on telling us want we want to know," he said, pointing to Brock, "Make sure  
he gets that encouragement in the chamber."   
  
Cassidy looked at Brock. "Boss, I'm not the type of person that tortures people for information. Maybe you could get  
someone else to do it. I hear David and Stephanie are good at making people go through pain," Cassidy said uneasily.   
  
"You will do as I say!" Cassidy's boss thundered.   
  
Cassidy sighed and replied, "Yes, sir." She took Brock out of the room.   
  
*** Meanwhile ***   
  
It was clear that Misty and everyone was in the hospital with white walls and, not to forget, Nick, who was in the bed  
and passed out. He was hooked up to a respirator that allowed him help to breath. Misty sat at his side, stroking his  
face. The room remained silent for a while.   
  
Finally Ash broke the silence. "Shouldn't we go looking for Brock?"   
  
"Yeah," Nurse Katelynn agreed, "Who knows what they could be doing to him."   
  
"Go on with out me," Misty said sadly, "I'm going to stay here in case Nick wakes up."   
  
"We might need your help, Misty," Ash said, "There are bound to be a ton of people there."   
  
"I said I'm staying here!" Misty exclaimed.   
  
"You think that is what Nick would want?" Nurse Katelynn asked, "They took all his pokemon except cubone. He will  
want them back."   
  
Misty looked down at Nick and asked, "Then who will stay here and watch after him?"   
  
"There are plenty of nurses here," Nurse Katelynn said comfortingly, "They will take good care of Nick for you."   
  
"I suppose," Misty said reluctantly, "Yeah. I'll go."   
  
Ash smiled. "Great," He said, "Let's get our pokemon back!"   
  
*** Back at the Team Rocket hideout ***   
  
"You fools!" exclaimed the Team Rocket boss to Stephanie and Adam, "I finally get a chance to get that pikachu that  
has been messing up so many of Team Rocket missions and you forget to grab it! I should put you in the torture  
chamber along with that pest who wouldn't tell me what I wanted to know!"   
  
Stephanie clasped her hands in front of her heart and pleaded, "Please, Sir! We can go back and finish the job!  
Cassidy never told us to take the pikachu. I will personally see to it that we get the pikachu. Please! You just can't  
send us to the chamber!"   
  
"Stephanie, come here," her boss said calmly.   
  
As Stephanie walked up to the desk, she looked at her feet. Was he going o tell her to go to the chamber? She hoped  
not. She had gotten to the desk a lot faster than she had thought and almost bumped into her boss' desk. She looked  
up at him, and was met by the back of her boss' hand. She fell to the floor and tried her best to hold back her tears,  
but they flowed down her cheek anyway.   
  
"If you ever tell me what I can or cannot do again, the torture chamber will be the least of your problems. As for your  
punishment for not bring me that pikachu, you will spend one day in solitary," the boss ordered.   
  
David walked over to Stephanie and got on his knees beside her. She cried into his shirt. He kisses her gently on the  
forehead and said, "It'll be okay, it's just one day. I'll help you get that pikachu. Everything will be all right, Steph."   
  
Stephanie sniffled and asked sadly, "Why doesn't he punish Cassidy instead? It's her fault. She didn't tell us that  
pikachu was so powerful. It's no fair! It's just no fair!"   
  
The boss looked over to David. "Now for your punishment, David," he continued, "You are to bring me back 200  
pokemon within the 24 hours that Stephanie is in solitary, and if you fail, you both will be killed."   
  
Stephanie and David both gasped. "Don't worry, Steph. I'll get the pokemon. I promise," David said comfortingly.   
  
"David," Stephanie whispered to David, "I don't want to be in Team Rocket anymore ..."   
  
"Stephanie, don't say that," David whispered back, "They've made this our home. We can deal with it. Besides, this  
isn't the time or place to talk about it."   
  
The boss pushed another button on his desk and two unidentified Rockets came into the room and dragged Stephanie  
out of the room.   
  
"Hey! You didn't even warn her they were coming!" David yelled.   
  
"Hush, boy!" the boss said, "You have 23 hours and 59 minutes and the clock is ticking."   
  
David rushed out the room. He looked back with a cold glare, but wasn't seen.   
  
The boss laughed and said, "He will never make it." Then, he (you guessed it) pushed another button on his desk. A  
few seconds later a fairly young woman entered the room. She could be identified as the woman who had pretended to  
be Ash's mother. The boss kissed her hand. "Sit down. Sit down," he said.   
  
"Yes, boss?" she asked with a smile.   
  
"Sara," her boss began, "you did a great job on your mission today. As a reward, I would like to take you to dinner  
tonight."   
  
Sara kept smiling. "I would be honored. What time?"   
  
"Eight o'clock. Wear something sensible."   
  
"Yes, sir."   
  
*** Meanwhile ***   
  
Ash looked at the grassy ground as he, Nurse Katelynn, and Misty made their way through the woods. Ash obviously  
saw a trail in the grass as if someone had been through there before. Of course, Pikachu was in Nurse Katelynn's  
arms and Cubone was on Misty's shoulder. They were all sweating a lot. They just kept on walking in silence for a  
while.   
  
"Ash, can we stop?" Nurse Katelynn asked, "I'm so tired. I don't think i can go on much further."   
  
Ash didn't even look back at her and said, "It will only be a mile or two more, then we can rest. Right now we are  
going to get Brock."   
  
Nurse Katelynn crossed her arms. She wasn't used to not getting her way with guys. She spun Ash around and kissed  
him on the lips. She used a softer voice and said, "Please, Ash. I'm so tired."   
  
Ash used a face that could shame one of Brock's faces. "Anything you want Nurse Katelynn," he said in a goofy voice.  
  
  
"Don't be so formal, Ash. Call me Ka-" Nurse Katelynn would have finished that sentence, but it is hard to talk when  
you are being strangled by Misty.   
  
"Why you little ... kissing my ... I'll kill you!" Misty yelled at her.   
  
Ash and Cubone pried Misty's hands off of Nurse Katelynn. "What is you're problem, Misty?!" Ash yelled at her,  
"Why can't you just let me be happy for once?"   
  
Misty's eyes got watery. She said in a small voice and looked down at her feet, "Ash, you've never yelled at me like  
that before ..." tears started flowing down her cheeks and she ran off course. Ash didn't see her tears, but Nurse  
Katelynn did.   
  
"Ash, I think you shouldn't have yelled at her ..." Nurse Katelynn said.   
  
"That's why I like you, you're so forgiving," Ash said, "Misty will get over it. Besides, she's always yelling at me."   
  
Nurse Katelynn nodded. "Anyway, just call me Kate. All my friends do."   
  
"Okay, Kate," Ash said. He began to set up camp. Kate couldn't get the image of Misty crying out of her head.   
  
Pikachu got up her strength and jumped onto Ash's shoulder. Kate looked back then went to get a drink of water from  
her backpack. "Chu pikachu pika chu pi pikachu pika pika!" [You shouldn't have yelled at Misty like that!] Pikachu  
scolded when they were out of Kate's hearing distance.   
  
"You're right, Pikachu," Ash sighed, "but ... I think I may be in love with Nurs ... I mean Kate."   
  
Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder as he began to set up camp. Pikachu hadn't noticed how late it had gotten. No one  
had. 'Ash,' Pikachu thought to herself, 'why can't you see that Misty and you belong together? Well, even if you and  
Misty don't get together, Kate isn't the best choice. I don't trust her."   
  
*** Back to Misty ***   
  
Misty sat at the edge of a river bank with tears in her eyes and her thoughts swimming in her head. 'I feel so rotten. I  
have a boy friend, but I also have deep feelings for Ash. Does that make me a bad person? I can't figure out which one  
I truely love! I guess if Ash already has a love, then Nick is the one that I truely love ...' Misty thought, then said to  
Cubone, "Why are you so quiet?"   
  
Cubone sat quietly on Misty's shoulder. His eyes were shut, as if he were asleep. However, he was in an unusual  
position to be asleep. Misty shook him gently at first, but Cubone stayed in the sleeping, motionless state. Misty shook  
Cubone a little rougher. "Cubone?" Misty sqeaked, "Wake up, Cubone. He's not waking up! Is he dead? Did I kill  
him? No! He's alive because nothing happened that could kill him. Could there have been? No!"   
  
Misty held Cubone close, thinking he may be sick. She felt his heart beating and knew that this was a *very* good  
sign. Misty mumbled, "I wonder ..." and reached for Cubone's skull mask.   
  
Cubone's eyes popped open and he grabbed Misty's wrist within the blink of an eye. "Bone cu bone cubone?!" [What  
are you doing?!], Cubone yelled angrily.   
  
Misty didn't know how to understand Cubone's words, but she understood what he meant and she replied, "I just  
wanted a peek, Cubone. I'm sorry to invade your privacy like that. Curiousity got the best of me." Misty was amazed  
at how strong Nick's cubone was. Misty noticed that it easily could have snapped her wrist in half. This was Nick's  
weakest pokemon?   
  
Cubone let go of her wrist. He nodded to show her all was well, and that it was okay. Misty sighed and said, "Let's get  
back to Ash."   
  
Cubone nodded again. Misty asked on the way back, "What were you doing with your eyes closes?"   
  
"Cubone." [Meditating.], Cubone said casually. Misty nodded, even though she had no idea what Cubone had just  
said.   
  
  
Chapter 8   
  
  
In the Team Rocket headquarters, there were severals yells from a male ... Brock. "No! No! Please don't! No!  
Please!" brock yelled loudly as the sceen faded in to show that Cassidy was pushing an object into Brock's face and  
rubbing it into him on various parts of his body. "No! Stop! Stop!" Brock kept yelling.   
  
"Oh stop whining!" Cassidy scolded, "Let me finish drawing the bruise marks." She held up the little eye liner pencil  
and looked at Brock. "Perfect," she said, smiling.   
  
"I know I look stupid!" Brock yelled.   
  
Cassidy held up a little compact mirror from her purse and said, "Look. You look battered."   
  
Brock looked at himself for a while then replied, "Actually that's not bad," he paused a second and asked, "Why  
didn't you torture me like anyone else would?"   
  
"I am just in this bussiness for the money. Don't think anything different!" Cassidy snapped.   
  
"You're nicer than any Rocket I've ever met," Brock said, not really sure if he was telling the truth or trying to suck  
up so she didn't really hit him.   
  
Cassidy blushed, and tried hiding her face in a magazine. "We're going to be here for a while since it takes bruises a  
little while to appear and you have so many of them it would take forever to put them all on you. Thirty minutes I  
suppose. In the mean time, you better come up with some answers for my boss."   
  
"But I don't know anything!" Brock protested.   
  
"I believe you, but my opinion doesn't matter. Just think of something," Cassidy suggested.   
  
Brock sighed and Cassidy frowned. Cassidy walked over to a wall. The wall was full of shelves that had all kinds or  
weapons on it. She grabbed a knife. She walked over to Brock.   
  
"Cassidy, please don't do it!" Brock pleaded. He closed his eyes and Cassidy stood in front of him.  
  
  
  



End file.
